Flashlight spare bulb carrier



p -7, 1937. H. 1. PHILLIPS 2,092,615

FLASHLIGHT SPARE BULB CARRIER Filed Aug. 19, 1956 48 INV Harr I. Phillips. BY vak/Q ATTORNEY Patented Sept. 7, 1937 UNITED STATES FLASHLIGHT SPARE BULB CARRIER Harry I. Phillips,

Waterbury, Conn, assignor to Scovill Manufacturing Company, Waterbury, Conn, a corporationoi Connecticut Application August 19, 1936, Serial No. 96,828 6 Claims. (01. 240-104;)

This invention relates to electric flashlights oi the portable or hand type, and more particularly to such a flashlight in which the base cap is streamlined and provided with interior means adapted to retain a spare lamp bulb.

One object of this invention is to provide a flashlight of the above nature in which the spare bulb may be quickly and easily removed from the base cap whenever desired.

A further objectis to provide a dry battery operated flashlight of the above nature in which the spare bulb is. releasably retained within a clip section of the helical spring which engages the base of the battery. v

A still further object is to provide a flashlight of the above nature which will be simple in construction, easy to assemble, inexpensive to manufacture, strong, compact, and very efflcient and durable in use.

With these and other objects in view, there have been illustrated on the accompanying drawing several forms in which the invention may be conveniently embodied in practice.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a side view partially in section of a flashlight embodying one form of this invention.

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section of the streamlined base cap of the flashlight, showing the combined spring and spare bulb holder in assembled position.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the combined spring and spare bulb holder by itself.

Fig. 4 is a longitudinal section similar to Fig. 2 of a modified form of base cap having a modified form of bulb holder and battery engaging spring assembled therein.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the bulb holder and spring shown in Fig. 4. v

Fig. 6 is a longitudinal section of another modified form of base cap having another modifled form of bulb holder spring located therein.

Fig. 7 is a longitudinal section of a cylindrical base cap with the first form of bulb holder shown in Fig. 1 assembled therein.

Referring now to the drawing in which like reference numerals denote corresponding parts throughout the several views, the numeral I indicates a cylindrical shellor casing of a flashlight of the portable or hand type, having a removable head cap l| assembled thereon. A lens holding ring I2 projects forwardly and loosely through the head cap II, and the latter is adapted to be secured to the forward end of the shell II) by means of cooperating interior threaded portions, not shown, on said head cap wardly extending shoulder or rib and shell. A removable base cap I3 is adapted to be threadedly secured on the rear end of the shell I 0 in a similar manner. The base cap l3, as clearly shown in Figs. 1 and 2, is provided with a spherical rear dome section and a cylindrical front section withinwhichis a threaded cup-shaped band H having an inwardly projecting transversely disposedflange or rib l at the base thereof. The band i4 is soldered or otherwise permanently secured to the interior of the cylindrical section of the base cap 3 and has threads l8 which cooperate with external threads I! formed on the reduced rear portion l8 of the body shell of the flashlight casing.

An active lamp bulb, not shown, is located in the head II, and is selectively energized under the control of a manual switch, not shown, by a dry cell, or cells, 20 disposed in the shell Ill. The active lamp bulb is identical with a spare bulb l9 located in the base cap l3, as will be described later.

For the purpose of resiliently pressing the dry cell forwardly toward the head end of the flashlight casing against the center terminal of the active lamp bulb, a tapered spiral coiled compression spring 2| is provided, the smaller diameter extremity 22 of which engages the end of the adjacent dry cell 20. The larger diameter coil 23 of thespring 2| seats upon the annular informed by the flange l5 of the threaded band M.

In order to detachably hold the spare bulb I 9 within the domed section of the base cap iii, the extremity 24 of the larger rear end of the coiled spring 2| is made straight and bent diametrically with respect to the large coil 23 thereof, passing through the center axis of the spring 2|. At the center of said straight section 24, provision-is made of a rearwardly extending resilient circular longitudinal U-shaped clip loop 25 adapted to frictionally fit the threaded socket engaging portion 26 of the bulb l9, as clearly shown in Fig. 3.

Preferably the clip loop 25 is of such diameter that the threaded portion 26 of the bulb I9 may be screwed thereinto. The straightsection 24 of said spring 2| is made of sufiicient length as to cause the last or large coil 23 thereof to snap into a recess 21 formed between the end thread 28 of the band l4 and the flange l5 of said band when the assembled spring 2| and bulb l9 are assembled within the cap l3.

In case the metal of the flashlight casing itself is threaded, the modified form of base cap 29 shown in Fig. 4 may be employed. In this form of base cap, an internal annular shoulder 30 is formed by crimping the metal of the cap inwardly, and a recess II is formed beyond the threaded section of the base cap to receive the straight end 32 and the large coil 33 of the coiled spring 34. As shownin Figs. 4 and 5, the straight end 32 of the spring 34 is disposed diametrically with respect to the large diameter coil 33 and is provided with a transversely disposed coiledsection 35 located substantially concentric with respect to the axis of the spring 34, whereby the threaded socket engaging portion 26 of the bulb l9 may be detachably inserted by a screw action within said coiled section in the position clearly shown in Figs. 4 and 5.

In Fig. 6 another modified form of streamlined base cap is disclosed, in which the flange l5 and the shoulder 30 provided in the previously described forms are omitted, and a coiled spare bulb holding spring 31 is detachably secured in position by the frictional engagement of the largest coil 48 of said spring 31 and the straight end 38 with the spherical internal surface of the cap 39. In this instance, the clip loop 40 embracing the threaded end portion 26 of the bulb I9 is longitudinally disposed and elongated as at 4i to increase the resiliency thereof, and prevent any possible injury to the bulb l9 by pressure upon the portion 26 thereof.

In Fig. 7 the use of a spare bulb holding spring 46 similar to the spring II is disclosed as it appears when assembled in a cylindrical threaded type of base cap 42. In this case the cap 42 has Operation In operation, the spare bulb is may be readily snapped or screwed into the various forms of clip loops or coils provided in the straight diametrically disposed ends of the battery engaging coiled springs before said springs are assembled into the cap. The spare bulb carrying spring unit may then be readily assembled within the base cap by snapping its largest diameter coil into the recess between the end of the threaded section of the base cap and the transversely disposed ribs (Figs. 1, 2, 4, and 7) or into frictional engagement with the internal concave surface of of the cap as in the form shown in Fig. 6.

While there have been disclosed in this specification several forms in which the invention may be embodied, it is to be understood that these forms are shown for the purpose of illustration only, and that the invention is not to be limited to the specific disclosures but may be modified and embodied in various forms without departing from its spirit. In short, the invention includes all the modifications and embodiments coming within the scope of the following claims.

Having thus fully described the invention, what is claimed as new, and for which it is desired to secure Letters Patent, is:

1. In a portable flashlight, a battery containing casing, a removable base cap therefor, a battery engaging coiled compression Spring frictionally retained within said cap, the rear end of said spring being diametrically disposed, and a spare bulb receiving resilient clip loop formed in the diametrically disposed spring end.

2. A combined battery engaging spring and spare bulb holder for a portable flashlight comprising a spirally coiled wire, the coils of said wire being increased in diameter from one end to the other, the large end of said spring having a transverse straight section, and means formed in said straight section to releasably hold a spare bulb.

3. In combination with a flashlight casing of the portable type, a base cap having an inwardly disposed annular rib provided therein, a tapered coiled compression spring adapted to seat on said rib, one end of said spring being bent out of concentricity with the coils thereof and having means formed thereon to releasably embrace a spare bulb, and means to releasably and frictionally retain said spring in said cap.

4. A combined battery engaging spring and spare bulb holder for a portable flashlight comprising a spirally coiled wire, the coils of said wire being increased in diameter from one end to the other, the large end of said spring having a transverse straight section, and a longitudinal resilient U-shaped section formed in said straight section to releasably hold a spare bulb.

5. A combined battery engaging spring andspare bulb holder for a portable flashlight comprising a spirally coiled wire, the coils of said wire being increased in diameter from one end to the other, the large end of said spring having a transverse straight section, and a circular longitudinal resilient section formed in said straight section to releasably hold a spare bulb.

6. A combined battery engaging spring and spare bulb holder for a portable flashlight comprising a spirally coiled wire, thecoils of said wire being increased in diameter from one end to the other, the large end of said spring having a transverse straight section, and a circular transverse coiled section formed in said straight HARRY I. PHllLIPS. 

